A MAJOR wildfire has dramatically restarted on the Costa del Sol just hours after authorities declared the blaze stabilised and sent evacuees back to their homes.
Heavy winds have fanned the flames back to life in the hills above Benahavis, a wealthy mountain village situated slightly inland from Marbella.
Plan INFOCA, Andalucia’s specialist wildfire agency, have now officially announced that the blaze is back on, with a helicopter and two fire engines returning to the scene.
Thick plumes of smoke were visible over the neighbouring coastal town of San Pedro de Alcantara by 4.45pm today as the town itself became enveloped in smog.
It marks a shock reversal for residents of the Montemayor, Benahavis Hills and La Coja urbanisations, who had only just been given the green light to return.
Residents of Benahavis Hills are now being evacuated once again, with a meeting point set up at the municipal sports pavilion, the town hall reports.
All residents are advised to close doors and windows to avoid smoke exposure.
Antonio Sanz Cabello, a minister for the Andalucian government, had already officially downgraded the stubbornly persistent fire to ‘Situation 0’ two days ago after praising the massive firefighting effort.
He confirmed up to 200 ground troops and 16 aircraft had battled the blaze, bringing it under control.
Plan INFOCA reported they were just 400 metres away from closing the perimeter of what was then a ‘fire without flames’.
But locals quickly began reporting a reactivation as sirens wailed and smoke billowed from a ridge visible from the A397 Ronda road.
It has been confirmed that the original fire has simply restarted in the high winds, rather than a new blaze breaking out.
Helicopters have been spotted rushing back to the skies, reportedly refilling their buckets from a nearby lake to tackle the outbreak north of Montemayor.
Despite the alarm, users on the ground reported that life inside Benahavis town itself continues as normal, with the immediate danger remaining in the surrounding hills.
Firefighting aircraft remain active over the Costa del Sol as crews battle to contain the reactivated perimeter.
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